Villanova addresses student drinking issues

By RICHARD ILGENFRITZ

Thursday, January 17, 2013

When Lower Merion Township Commissioner Scott Zelov first heard one particular statistic about student drinking and the citations issued by township police it was an illuminating surprise: 60 percent of all nuisance citations were issued to students from Villanova University.

"The 60 percent provides great information to the extent of the problem," Zelov said.

In his analyses of the nuisance crime categories, Zelov identified what are often called nontraffic citations that are issued for four types of offenses. Those offenses included disorderly conduct, public urination, underage drinking and public intoxication.

Those figures include all nontraffic citations written throughout Lower Merion and not just those areas in Rosemont, Bryn Mawr and Ardmore where Villanova students tend to congregate.

The figures were collected from the time students began coming back to school last August 2012 and ran through September and October. Through late December and early January, the university was off for its break and, as a result, incidents were down in Lower Merion. An indication, according to Zelov, of the overall problem that he would like to see addressed.

"(It's) proof of the enormous impact Villanova students have on our community. It's a big problem which cannot continue," Zelov said.

Villanova officials said they recognize the issue and that they are working with students to improve the situation.

The Rev. John Stack, vice president for student life at Villanova, said the college has taken a number of steps to address the problem.

Among those steps is issuing information to all incoming students regarding the school's policy on alcohol, as well what the state laws are. He said they also get information on respecting the neighbors and the neighborhoods. All incoming freshman are also required to take an alcohol program online.

Once a Villanova student gets in trouble, Lower Merion and Radnor police inform the university about the incident. Stack went on to say that besides any repercussions in the legal system, the university also might act based on the specific circumstances of a particular case and any previous incidents that a student might have been involved in.

"In addition to whatever happens in the township, they are also involved in our judicial system here and sanctions are going to vary by whatever they have done and whether it was a first offense," Stack said.

According to Stack, repeat offenders include only about 1 or 2 percent of all the student infractions. Stack added that he realizes that only involves students who are caught.

He said if there is an incident at a student house off campus, Villanova officials will go to that house and speak with the students involved.

"We are concerned about it. We have been concerned about it for years," Stack said. "One of the difficulties is that each year we have a new crop of people."

According to Zelov, if one were to look back over a longer period, the situation with students is better today than it was 20 or 30 years ago. But in the last few years, the problems have been increasing and he doesn't want it to get back to the levels they once were.

"More recently, the problem and the impact of the students has gotten worse," Zelov said.

One of the things he cited is more of a concentration of students in certain areas off campus.

"Neighbors continue to be upset about the noise, the litter and trash and the public urination caused by students and they don't want to take it anymore. And they shouldn't have to," Zelov said.

Stack said a plan to build more dorms on the main campus could help.

"If it gets approved, it will bring 1,100 more students back to campus," Stack said of a project that is expected to cost about $200 million.

He added that it would bring the campus population from about 4,400 today to about 5,500. That would leave about 700 students living off campus.

When asked whether there were any plans to increase the number of students attending Villanova, Stack said the university wants to keep the numbers about the same.

But Stack also questioned the numbers presented by Zelov after reviewing the incidents.

According to Stack, Villanova got a total listing of 110 student citations. Ten of those, he said, were duplicates and another 10 were people that they couldn't find in their system. He has asked Lower Merion to give the university the information again to find out if they are Villanova students.

The majority of the citations were for underage drinking. Stack said he believes bar owners could shoulder some of the responsibility by ensuring they are only serving people over 21.

"I think that the next step would be for Scott and I to meet with the bar owners because we're not ... giving (the students) fake ID cards," Stack said.

Lower Merion officials said the need for policing are costing the township money.

"When a statistic comes out that says 60 percent of the nuisance offenses are from Villanova students, that is a statistic that shows the extent of the problem. And it shows that the police department is responding and, to me, it shows that it is time for Villanova to do more," Zelov said.

But what can Villanova do?

Zelov said when he met with Villanova officials late last year there were several ideas presented to university officials in regard to the issue.

They included a shuttle bus service that could run from Ardmore to Villanova or the apartment complexes that have a large number of students.

"Shuttle services like this are used by many colleges in many places because town-gown conflicts are effectively dealt with," Zelov said, "It's time to deal with them here."

Stack said Villanova once had a shuttle program, but it was discontinued after complaints from residents.

According to Stack, the problem neighbors had was that the students would end up going to parties that were being held in student houses in residential neighborhoods.

Another problem with the shuttle bus service is that in recent years students have been moving into the Home Properties site that is located in Radnor Township.

Students take the short walk from the bars through the residential neighborhoods along Roberts Road, Thomas and Warner avenues.

Stack said he spoke with a number of students and asked them if they would take a shuttle from the bars in Bryn Mawr to the Home Properties. Most said if the bus were there as they exited the bar they'd take it, but if they had to wait 10 or 15 minutes, they would just walk.

Another suggestion was a use of the Villanova security staff in places such as Byrn Mawr to serve in support of police.

Stack also discounted that idea saying that he doesn't believe it would happen in part because its public safety department has no authority off campus.

"We would like to come up with ideas that would be helpful but I personally do not think those two ideas are going to be implemented," Stack said.